DM-Megane - now available in beta section !

[stevelois]

Name: Mégane
Game type: DM / TDM
Status: Pre final here
Players: 6 – 12
Requirements: UT3 + patch 2.1 + Titan Pack
Homepage

Dev:

For the theme, It’s the first time I use a combination of brick & techy meshes & materials. I already use custom textures for the floor provide by mAlkAv!An. My inspiration come from stock maps but as always, I use my own style of mixing the assets to obtain a different look. I also want to obtain an UT99 feel to it. The blue & red colors are pretty much dominant in UT99. My goal is to obtain the classic look & feel by using colors & no saturation. The main color is yellowish & all areas use little spots of blue &/or red colors like in the old times. Expect contrast & darker lighting in many spots, like in real life.

I add many animated stuff which are :

- Many broken / rotating fans
- A garage door that move up / down
- A huge hi-tech tower with 2 rotating sections
- A platform of crates that goes up and down
- 2 floating - moving barrels in the water
- Red flashing lights for some defective machinery

New pics : (04/15/12)



Old pics :



I don't have a release date yet so I dunno when the level will be release. Time will tell. Enjoy the dev.

[WedgeBob]

Looks like one I would most likely be playing...let's hope it'll be polished up and going gold soon, whenever you plan on it...

[Private Tux]

Looks great. Nice areas, lighting and other materials that makes a greater atmosphere. I think you should get a little higher contrast for any part. Good luck with your new project.

[DarkSonny07]

Steve do you guess what? You should have been ( with no exaggeration intend ) in teams like UCMP or CBP your work likes!

PD: Maybe they call you at your door in next UT someday with people like kami and other lol

[stevelois]

Looks like one I would most likely be playing...let's hope it'll be polished up and going gold soon, whenever you plan on it...

Let's hope it will be finished in a short amount of time

Looks great. Nice areas, lighting and other materials that makes a greater atmosphere. I think you should get a little higher contrast for any part. Good luck with your new project.

THX But I doubt I can obtain more contrast ? Any recommendations, ideas, suggestions ?

Steve do you guess what? You should have been ( with no exaggeration intend ) in teams like UCMP or CBP your work likes!

PD: Maybe they call you at your door in next UT someday with people like kami and other lol

THX m8 for the sweet words But many of those guy's make their own meshes, which look awesome & I'm still using stock assets (meshes & textures) so I don't think this level could fit in this kind of pack ? I have many ideas but using stock stuff is very limited

[DarkSonny07]

Hey Steve, they began like you at beginning; mapping and mapping with no thinking about self-made meshes and that stuff that makes their maps awe, step by step ( learning and learning ) along the time is how many mappers ( not all obviously lol ) got their progress in some way....Today logically you cant but im sure you would achieve some kind of skill in mapping in future times

That I said great atmosphere and as ever I said take your time not like your enemy take it as your allies for your work there is not limit for mappin lol

<hint encouraging mode>Mozi had done custom and not custom maps and all their work is superb, you can do some similar like Mozi did with some of their maps</hint encourage mode>

Goz lack mate!

[Sly.]

Let's hope it will be finished in a short amount of time



THX But I doubt I can obtain more contrast ? Any recommendations, ideas, suggestions ?



THX m8 for the sweet words But many of those guy's make their own meshes, which look awesome & I'm still using stock assets (meshes & textures) so I don't think this level could fit in this kind of pack ? I have many ideas but using stock stuff is very limited

Your level looks great, if you wish variety you can always "confront" two entirely different styles in your maps, such a thing is always interesting. It made me go "awe" in the original Unreal when for example there was this secret Skaarj base in Sky Town. Everything looked so surreal and medieval, but then you entered one of the buildings and were confronted with the over-detailled Skaarj technology.
And feel free to take a look at my "little baby" (you know which one I mean ), I used stock content but could create an entire new feeling. It's just about the placement of your static meshes. You don't have to use that one pillar static mesh as a pillar, why not make it part of the floor and maybe that wall static mesh would be a good ceiling? I guess you get what I mean.

And don't go to the CBP team, we would miss your maps in future UOF packs.

[stevelois]

Hey Steve, they began like you at beginning; mapping and mapping with no thinking about self-made meshes and that stuff that makes their maps awe, step by step ( learning and learning ) along the time is how many mappers ( not all obviously lol ) got their progress in some way....Today logically you cant but im sure you would achieve some kind of skill in mapping in future times

That I said great atmosphere and as ever I said take your time not like your enemy take it as your allies for your work there is not limit for mappin lol

<hint encouraging mode>Mozi had done custom and not custom maps and all their work is superb, you can do some similar like Mozi did with some of their maps</hint encourage mode>

Goz lack mate!

Yeah, I think, most mappers that really like mapping will be willing, at a certain time, to make their own meshes & materials. You can't imagine how beautiful stuff I see made in UDK but it require to much time & I'm not willing to use that time for learning how to make my own stuff. What I share with everyone on my blog is a very small amount of stuff I actually see everyday.

But, don't worry m8, I see your post constructive, supportive en encouraging

Your level looks great, if you wish variety you can always "confront" two entirely different styles in your maps, such a thing is always interesting. It made me go "awe" in the original Unreal when for example there was this secret Skaarj base in Sky Town. Everything looked so surreal and medieval, but then you entered one of the buildings and were confronted with the over-detailled Skaarj technology.
And feel free to take a look at my "little baby" (you know which one I mean ), I used stock content but could create an entire new feeling. It's just about the placement of your static meshes. You don't have to use that one pillar static mesh as a pillar, why not make it part of the floor and maybe that wall static mesh would be a good ceiling? I guess you get what I mean.

And don't go to the CBP team, we would miss your maps in future UOF packs.

Yeah m8, I know what you mean about using floor meshes on walls & such. I already do that since my first map lol

About your little baby, I'm sorry if I didn't provide any feedback yet because I'm waiting for the next version. Most of what I had in mind as already been suggested by the others. I did play it & it's on a good way, so keep it up m8

There is no worries about me leaving the UOF team nor not making some stuff. Remember DM-Amyrade ?

THX everyone for leaving your comments

[Sly.]

Hehe, don't worry about that, there will be a new version, but it will be made after I will finish the Vortex Rikers remake - which I'm very close to finish right now, so expect some single player fun (when Malk will be done with the Skaarj)!

What I actually meant was as a form of inspiration if you run out of ideas. You can take a look at the garden area for example, see what I did there and if you like it, feel free to borrow the idea. I think the overgrown style cut fit well in a corner of this map, it looks like an abandonded industrial building after all.

Good thing that you have no intentions to leave the team, would be a huge loss. I don't post much feedback (as I'm very busy with a bunch of projects (two for UT2004, one almost finished, then the few unreleased maps and my UT3 project) and real life) but you should know that (in my eyes) you're one of the top mappers of the community concerning the ratio of layout/gameplay and visuals.

[cUnNiNg_StUnTs]

Please repost when you have a DL link

[stevelois]

Hehe, don't worry about that, there will be a new version, but it will be made after I will finish the Vortex Rikers remake - which I'm very close to finish right now, so expect some single player fun (when Malk will be done with the Skaarj)!

What I actually meant was as a form of inspiration if you run out of ideas. You can take a look at the garden area for example, see what I did there and if you like it, feel free to borrow the idea. I think the overgrown style cut fit well in a corner of this map, it looks like an abandonded industrial building after all.

Good thing that you have no intentions to leave the team, would be a huge loss. I don't post much feedback (as I'm very busy with a bunch of projects (two for UT2004, one almost finished, then the few unreleased maps and my UT3 project) and real life) but you should know that (in my eyes) you're one of the top mappers of the community concerning the ratio of layout/gameplay and visuals.

There is great maps at the horizon, For all UT versions he he he

For inspiration, I look at many different things. Sometime I look other maps to see what I like meshing wise & use some of the meshes in my own way. BTW, I like what you've done in the garden. Really like the emitters & the atmosphere It's cool for the garden idea but I have other plan.

I must say a huge THX for the compliment. I appreciate very much you place me among the top level designer !

Please repost when you have a DL link

There will be many post before a download link ! It's the dev thread after all

Like the rocket launcher spot for example, which I didn't started yet :

[Achernar]

Very promising map from those pics you've presented. I particularly intrigued about layout (3rd pic first post), looks like a lot of diversity there which is awesome. Visually very interesting. I am wondering do you have an idea for number of player yet or is are you still working on that component?

Good work, keep it up! Looking forward to trying it out.

[Odedge]

Looking good Steve... especially the outdoor pic (in OP). It looks a little like some futuristic Bostonian industrial area.

[Lord_PorkSword]

Your lighting looks a lot more varied than usual..I quite like it M8!
Everything else of excellent quality as expected!

[stevelois]

Very promising map from those pics you've presented. I particularly intrigued about layout (3rd pic first post), looks like a lot of diversity there which is awesome. Visually very interesting. I am wondering do you have an idea for number of player yet or is are you still working on that component?

Good work, keep it up! Looking forward to trying it out.

THX m8

Playercount is 6 to 12. It play well to ±18 but it's chaotic ! Layout is finished since a while & I'm working on the "pretty" side. It's mostly a tight map with many hitscan opportunities except the udamage area which is very open.

Looking good Steve... especially the outdoor pic (in OP). It looks a little like some futuristic Bostonian industrial area.

THX Ode The style is a first for me with those assets. Hope I'll be able to achieve a good mix of industrial / techy feel

Your lighting looks a lot more varied than usual..I quite like it M8!
Everything else of excellent quality as expected!

He he

Well, I use the same lighting as usual but only add some blue / red light spots here & there. It make the level look somehow different indeed THX for the compliment & I'll hope everyone will enjoy it in the end !

[stevelois]

So a little Friday update

This is the progress I've made since my last post which are the rocket launcher & sniper area. I decided to use the unlit mode, keeping the nice looking view for later :

[Horror]

Looking nice! Love the work you've done on the lighting so far!

[stevelois]

THX m8

What take me the most of my time is the damn meshing ! It take so much time to mesh a level out, incredible !

[stevelois]

So meshing & lighting continue

An update of the spots I worked since 2 weeks :

[Private Tux]

Looks fantastic mate! I'm still waiting for the final release.
Love the meshes, lighting concept and it seems how far the bots are really closed up in this map.

[stevelois]

Looks fantastic mate! I'm still waiting for the final release.
Love the meshes, lighting concept and it seems how far the bots are really closed up in this map.

Ha ha, THX

But I still have a long way to go before final !

And a beta will be released before the final (always wise to publish at least 1 beta before a final )

[Bl!tz~]

very nice contrasts on lighting on thoses two last picts

my only "grippe" is with the name itself...sorry but my first reflex is always to think to a french....car ...+.+

[stevelois]

very nice contrasts on lighting on thoses two last picts

my only "grippe" is with the name itself...sorry but my first reflex is always to think to a french....car ...+.+

THX bro

Well, Mégane is also a first name, I didn't know it was a French car lol Hope it's not crap !!! LOL

[Darkn3ss is QnL]

Looks good once more Stevie Looking forward to play this.

[stevelois]

THX m8

Hope you will enjoy it I can say that adept bots give me some hard time often lol so I don't want to imagine god bots!

[Sly.]

So meshing & lighting continue

An update of the spots I worked since 2 weeks :

Looks really nice! I love the contrasting in the lighting of your level and the pavement segment staitc meshes serve well as "framing plates" for your light and the style reminds me of Rankin, it's just more "wasted". Looking forward to see more.
You might want to give the ceiling more variety though, like some grates with a light which would be a perfect place to add a decal actor/projector, or maybe some open plate where you can see some more pipes. Just an idea.

Damn, I'm too stressed atm... I thought I posted my post but I just left the page without pressing the reply button, since I'm running short of time I tried to quickly summarize it now, hope it's enough feedback though. lol

[stevelois]

THX buddy

Well, the area you see behind the belt in the pic to the left & the ceiling in the pic to the right hasn't been started yet It is something I plan to work on & pipes will be added for sure (it's the first time I use them as much everywhere actually héhé).

I'm glad everyone like my lighting so far, it's a bit different from my previous work but it's pretty WIP so far. At least, what you see is what I consider the basis, it will only get better with time

[SkaarjMaster]

looks great so far! I'm able to finally see this thread by removing the map name in the URL...........strange.

EDIT: I guess that was it, fixed now.

[Sly.]

Does anyone else think it looks funny how almost everybody on this page has that banner? Secret community helper meeting anyone? lol

[stevelois]

looks great so far! I'm able to finally see this thread by removing the map name in the URL...........strange.

Veeeeeeeeeeeeery strange indeed !?? lol Black magic, it must be

Or maybe it is caused by the accent on the "e" ???

Does anyone else think it looks funny how almost everybody on this page has that banner? Secret community helper meeting anyone? lol

LOL

It bring colors to my page ! I wonder who is the secret helper.........

[stevelois]

Damn, I just saw I've surpass 1000 views in less than 1 month for this map ! I'm surprise ?

I hope there will be as much view & comments on the beta when I'll release it so it could be a better map !

THX for watching / following folks

[Darkn3ss is QnL]

Damn, I just saw I've surpass 1000 views in less than 1 month for this map ! I'm surprise ? I hope there will be as much view & comments on the beta when I'll release it so it could be a better map !

THX for watching / following folks

I can do the math for you for that.
Here is my formula:

You = epic mapper = epic = having alot of people stalking you on the epic forums

[stevelois]

Ha ha, THX bro

It start to look Epic now. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh, that damn meshing !

I can say that I think it's my best work to date. Funny, I say always that when working on my last map. Experience must lead somewhere after all LOL

[stevelois]

This post is to show a bit the surrounding buildings you'll see around the map.

I started to look which stock deco meshes I can use for the surrounding. When I look at them, well, they don't fit my needs.

1 - They are heavy resource wise, counting 3000 - 4000 poly's.
2 - City building meshes are composed of many small building meshes that most small meshes aren't good looking, they look very low detailed.
3 - While all those city meshes are often use at a certain distance from the main play area (that is why they don't need to be very detailed), we don't notice their low details so it is fine habitually but in my case, the building are very close to the play area so it look very bad.

To resolve this issue, I've decided to make many BSP buildings that are the closer to the play area since they are 'in your face', I will be able to make some good looking materials with the stock textures using realistic, simple geometry. I've made 4 of them so far & the result is satisfying, looking much better than any stock content. Note that those pics as been posted on my blog ±2 weeks ago & I work more on them so the actual result is much better, at least you get the idea...



I should post some good looking stuff next week

[Bl!tz~]

nice job bro, and yeah ur bsp building are looking better than SM stock ones ...and so much original, u refresh our bored eyes

[stevelois]

THX bro

I too, I'm bored of the regular stock city meshes. I also checked the Liandri buildings, while many are looking good for a long range view, they are to sci-fi for my map & would look out of place.

My goal is mix different type of buildings which some have a urban look (bricks / stone), other a bit more techy look (metal) & other with a modern look (glassy / reflective).

I can say that I'm pretty close of my goal but don't want to reveal to much, ya know

I know put my effort on meshing & lighting. A full rebild take me 25 mins damn it !

[DarkSonny07]

Cheers Steve! this map looks even more interestin over spend the time along ...I preview a lot of insane work for you keep the brains alive lol

[stevelois]

LOLL

THX m8

Damn yeah, my brain is more alive every time I work on this project ha ha !

[stevelois]

I've been mapping like a maniac since my last post.

Meshing & lighting take me a lot of time. But at least, it look awesome from my pov & gameplay is freaking frantic even with low player count (±10 players), which is truly great (bot pathing is also an important point I take great care since I don't play online).

I need to add some little touches on some spots in those pics which after I will be able to release the beta just for bug purpose because I'm already satisfied about the look & gameplay. Enjoy

[Sly.]

Good job, really like your lighting!